Daily Republican., 1887-07-14
MENTAL CLOUDS,
David Swing, in Chicago Journal.


suddenly fallen upon the once bright
mind ofa Chicago young lady awakens,
indeed, widespread sympathy for the
young beauty and her home circle, but
1t also compels us 10 perceive that the
different faculties occupy different parts
OF the brain tissue, and thus a calami-
ty to beloved girl casts light upon
the physical basis of intellectual ac.
tion. This lady awoke from a sleep
and did not know her own sister or
the other members of the family. Her
mother fingered upon the borders of
some well-known being, but to her
sister and brother and father she spoke
as to strangers. Her language, her
reasoning power, her happiness Ie-
but the world of persons had
vanished. to be succeeded by interest
ing people, but persons who were un-
known. Thus upon some part of the
brain disease had fallen, aud the fac
ulty, which for twenty years had oc-
cupied that apartment, was rudely
evicted.
II may be there is some part of the
brain which is the seat of conscious
ness, and that the little nerve which
leads from the memory of persons to
that citadel of consciousness has been
injured, and that therefore no commu-
can be made from the suburb
to the central city. Blindness results
from some paralysis of little thread
which runs from the eye to the brain,
and while the eye itself may be perfect
and the consciousness perfect in ability,
yet, owing to the injury to the inter-
nerve, the image on the retina
cannot pass over to the consciousness.
Seeing takes place in the dark caverns
OF the brain, but the image cannot
travel in the dark if the bridge be down
between, for the abyss is bottomless.
In the case Of Miss L. the injury may
be only 10 some nerve delicate as a
SPIDERS web. Nature may repair the
injury, and the lost persons may all
return suddenly as they depa,ted
Generally such injuries are irrepara-
BILE, but We are glad that they are not
always 80.
Some years ago Mr.. Frank Whet-
stone, of Cincinnati, became suddenly
deranged. He knew and loved all his
friends. his city, his home, but his
judgment was gone, and he was dan
gerous because his love was liable to
make him offer up himself or some
person to the honor OF some one else.
He was taken TO the Columbus Asy-
lum, and after q few weeks his reason
came back, and came instantly. He
saw at once that he was in an asylum.
He sent for the superintendent, and
old him that his perfect reason had
come back. He was soon back among
his friends and never suffered from
return of the malady.
Rev. Marcus Ormond of Oxford, O.,
was stricken instantly with the loss of
his language. He knew his children,
wife, and all his friends, but he could
not recall the name of any one or of
Language had gone. He
was not dumb. but he did not know
what word to use. His world was all
around him, but the names of things
Lad departed. Sitting by his window
one day, perhaps month after the at
tack, he suddenly uttered the word
''peach" to some blossoms which were
near the window. He retained great
physical power and all his reasoning
faculties. The blight had fallen upon
the names Of things. Very slowly
words came back until he could count
upon hu 1dred or two of terms, but
he never was able to command words
enough to enable HIM to resume any
work as u public speaker. He must
have lost thousands of these names in
an instant of time. There is no micro
scope that could have learned what
nerve it was which thus became i'm
paired and cut off names from the cen.
tral consciousness.
Alter some boys had returned from
a circus they attempted to rival the
gymnasts they had just seen, and they
began with the handspring act. One
lad fell rather heavily upon his head
and neck, and deafness set in and be
came total. The youth of that happy
hour in the circus is now a man of 24
or 25, but the world of sounds has left
him never to return. He was musi-
clan and can now play the piano for
others, while to his own heart there
comes no sound whatever from the in
strument. Some thread was snapped
in that moment of innocent play.
Not all of the brain is made use of
by the mental powers. A large part
Of it is, perhaps, only the hull of the
nut or the bark of the tree. I'll may
be the supply train which follows the
working and fighting army. A Mr..
Jessup, of Hamilton, Ohio, shot Mr..
Smith through the head. But Mr..
Smith not only did not die, but he suf
'ered no particular injury from the in-
Vasion of his brain chamber. He was
put to bed and was expected to breathe
lis last in few minutes, but he did
not meet the public expectation.
Thus, after we have chased the
mind into the brain, we are still igno-
'ant OF the part played in intellectual
iclion by this or that part of the bulk
otal. Mr.. Webster had a large brain,
)ut we do not know what was the of
ice of his extra ounces. They may
lave been supply stores which were
ed out to the toiling cells within.-
1t is said that the bright and happy
mind OF Miss L. shonld now be found
'mong those abnormal phenomena of
nature; it is pititu( to think that her
&c tire of friendship has departed, and
hat, able and wiling to love many
riends, sine has come TO the sad pass
II not knowing sister or br3ther from
stranger. Perhaps all this cloud will
pass away and the lost will
'c found.